1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the art of farm equipment and methods of using same, specifically within the art of unbaling agricultural crop products such as hay, straw, fodder, and other similar products.
2. Description of Related Art
Fresh agricultural crop product such as hay, straw, fodder, and other similar products that have never been baled comprise a palatable feed for most hoofed farm animals and for some other farm animals. However, unbaled agricultural crop product is impractical to move from field to farm. Agricultural crop product is therefore generally compressed into small units called flakes, which are then further compressed and tied together into bales, making the agricultural crop product easier to handle but less palatable for farm animals and less attractive to potential purchasers.
Several apparatuses and methods of using them exist in the art for unbaling and dispersing agricultural crop product flakes; however, no apparatus or method is known to exist that successfully breaks up agricultural crop product flakes such that the agricultural crop product appears never to have been baled. A need has long been felt in the art for such an apparatus and method.